Area youth attend summer class at ASU

Area middle and high schoolers went to college early, as local students spent a portion of their summer at Augusta State University.

Several summer programs were held at ASU to help students better prepare for college in an educational and fun setting.

Approximately 75 high school students from Josey and Laney High Schools attended the Partners In Education Summer Exploratory program June 3 to 28. Activities targeted science, math, language arts, and social sciences, and included field trips. Instructors included teachers from the two high schools and university faculty from the arts and sciences and teacher development programs.

The second program, the Middle Grades Students and Teachers Educational Partners Academy, was also held June 3 to 28. Nearly 120 seventh and eighth grade students from Richmond County middle schools participated in the enrichment program. The classes focused on thinking and problem solving skills, and included science, math, social studies, and reading and writing, with activities such as a forensic lab, a trip to a local television station, and learning math through gathering survey data. Master teachers from ASU’s Middle Grades Professional Development Schools along with Dr. Holly Thornton, teacher development, and eight ASU middle grades education certification students served as faculty.

A third program, called Project Success, was for local students in at-risk situations. It met June 10 to 21. Approximately 30 youth participated in activities including web page design, math and science projects, English and reading comprehension, and job search skills.

“We want to give the students a taste of college life, as well as provide fun and educational activities at the same time,” said Gina Thurmond, Project Success coordinator. “It should be a good experience for them.”